With the development of computer technologies, communication technologies, and home electronics technologies, a network management service for managing a home network to which apparatuses and systems in a home are connected has taken center stage as a future-oriented technology.
All types of information electronic appliances that are connected to one another through a home network in a home may transmit data to one another and communicate with various types of user terminal apparatuses. For example, a user may control all types of electronic appliances that are connected to one another through a home network in a home regardless of time and place, by using a UI installed in a user terminal apparatus such as a portable phone, a mobile phone, a smart phone or the like.
However, since ubiquitous service eXchanges (UXs), which are provided according to different types of businesses such as a manufacturer, a communication company, etc., are different, it is still difficult to provide a home network management service. For example, whenever a device is newly added to a home network, the user has no choice but to adapt to a new UI screen design or have the discomfort of a fixed UI screen that may not satisfy various tastes of the user.
Also, various services, such as controls, methods, energy management, and the like of home appliances, are provided in a home network system. However, it can be difficult for the user to check, in one view, various functions provided from various services through only an existing service UI screen.
The present application describes a user terminal apparatus that provides various user interface (UI) screens for managing a home network and a method of managing a home network thereof.
According to a non-limiting aspect of the technology described herein, there is provided a user terminal apparatus including: a communication unit configured to be connected to a home network comprising a plurality of devices; a display unit configured to display a UI screen for managing the home network; a sensing unit configured to sense a user manipulation of the UI screen; and a control unit configured to change the UI screen displayed on the display unit according to the user manipulation. The UI screen may be one of a plurality of service pages that are changeable according to a user manipulation in a first direction, and the plurality of service pages may be pages for respectively providing different home network management services, and at least one of the plurality of service pages may include an area that is displayable on the display unit according to a user manipulation in a second direction.
In response to one of the plurality of service pages being selected, the control unit may display a function area page subordinate to the service page on the display unit.
The first direction may be a horizontal direction, the second direction may be a vertical direction, and the control unit may sequentially display the plurality of service pages page by page in response to a flick or drag manipulation being input in the horizontal direction and display a function area included in the service page in response to a flick or drag manipulation being input in the vertical direction.
One of the plurality of service pages may be a main page, and the main page may include an information display area of the home network and at least one favorite function area that is displayable according to a user manipulation in the second direction.
In response to a new device being added to the home network, the control unit may add at least one of a new service page and a new function area.
The plurality of service pages may include at least one of a control service page providing a control menu for respectively controlling operations of the plurality of devices, an energy service page providing energy usage information of the plurality of devices, a monitoring service page providing a monitoring service by using a photographing device of the plurality of devices, a media service page providing a media service by using a media output device of the plurality of devices, and a mode service page for differently controlling the plurality of devices according to a home network mode.
A function area of the control service page may include the control menu, a function area of the energy service page may include periodical energy usage information of the plurality of devices, a function area of the monitoring service page may include data captured by one of the plurality of devices, a function area of the media service may include a menu for managing a file stored in at least one of the plurality of devices, a function area of the mode service page may include a mode execution menu for executing one mode, and in response to the mode execution menu being selected, the control unit may control devices included in a group corresponding to the mode execution menu at one time.
The plurality of service pages may respectively include service summary areas. In response to a service summary area of one service page being displayed and a user manipulation in the second direction being performed, the control unit may move and display at least one function area connected to the service summary area onto the service summary area.
In response to the at least one function area being displayed on the display unit and an enlarge menu icon of one function area being selected, the control unit may enlarge the one function area to a detailed function area and display the detailed function area in a whole area of the display unit.
In response to the at least one function area being displayed on the display unit and a pinch gesture being input, the control unit may reduce the at least one function area to corresponding objects and display the corresponding objects and, in response to one of the objects being selected, change the selected object to a function area and display the function area.
The user terminal apparatus may further include a rotation sensing unit configured to sense a rotation of the user terminal apparatus. The control unit may display the main page according to a first layout in response to the display unit being oriented in the vertical direction and display the main page according to a second layout in response to the display unit being oriented in the horizontal direction.
The first layout may be a layout in which the information display area of the home network and at least one favorite function area are connected in a second axis direction based on the information display area of the home network, and the second layout may be a layout that includes a plurality of state information areas indicating state information of respective rooms included in an environment managed by the home network.
According to another non-limiting aspect of the technology described herein, a method of managing a home network of a user terminal apparatus includes, in response to an application for managing the home network including a plurality of devices, being executed, displaying a first service page of a plurality of service pages for managing the home network; in response to the first service page being displayed and a user manipulation in a first direction being input, displaying a second service page connected to the first service page; and in response to the first service page or the second service page being displayed and a user manipulation in a second direction, displaying a function area comprised in the first service page or the second service page. The plurality of service pages may be pages for respectively providing different home network management services.
The method may further include: in response to one of the plurality of service pages being selected, displaying a function area subordinate to the service page on a display unit.
The method may further include: in response to a new device being added to the home network, adding at least one of a new service page and a new function area.
The one of the plurality of service pages may be a main page, and the main page may include an information display area of the home network and at least one favorite function area that is displayable on a display unit according to a user manipulation in the second direction.
The plurality of service pages may respectively include service summary areas and at least one function area connected to the service summary areas. The displaying of the at least one function area may include: in response to the at least one function area being displayed and a user manipulation in the second direction being performed, moving and displaying the at least one function area onto the service summary areas.
The method may further include: in response to the at least one function area being displayed and an enlarge menu icon of one function area being selected, enlarging the one function area to a detailed function area and displaying the detailed function area.
The method may further include: in response to at least one function area being displayed and a pinch gesture being input, reducing the at least one function area to corresponding objects and displaying the corresponding objects, and in response to one of the reduced objects being selected, changing the selected object to a function area and displaying the function area.
The method may further include: in response to the main page being displayed and a display unit of the user terminal apparatus being oriented in a vertical direction, displaying the main page according to a first layout, and in response to the display unit being oriented in a horizontal direction, displaying the main page according to a second layout.
According to various example embodiments as described above, a home network service user interface (UI) screen that reflects various needs of a user may be provided. Therefore, the user may further intuitively and efficiently use various services.